Newsroom

30 August 2018

Going north to count bikes

Australia’s biggest bike count will head north next week when Super Tuesday hits the Northern Territory and Queensland on Tuesday 4 September.

Bicycle Network volunteers at 170 separate intersections and bike paths will record the movements of bike riders to see which areas work well for people who ride, and which areas could be improved to make riding more comfortable and attractive.

Luke Poland, Bicycle Network Super Counts Coordinator, encouraged bike riders to come out in force next week to highlight to councils that making it easier for people to ride bikes should be a priority.

“Whether you ride a bike every day or an occasional, make sure your ride is counted on Super Tuesday North,” said Mr Poland.

“This is our chance as bike riders to show decision makers that bike riding is a popular and normal thing to do and can fix health problems that plague our communities.”

2018 is the ninth year that Super Tuesday North will run, with many participating councils now compiling strong sets of annual data to help with local transport projects.

“The data from our bike counts has been the catalyst for many local bike projects. Not only do the counts show which areas need improvement, they also show us what types of bike lanes and paths work,” added Mr Poland.

Volunteers conduct the count, with at least one situated at each count site. Every volunteer counter receives a $50 donation from Bicycle Network to give to a local community group, club or charity of their choice. More than $6,000 was donated back into the local community last year.

Count sites in the Northern Territory are located at Alice Springs, Darwin, Katherine, Palmerston and Tennant Creek, while Queensland sites are at Townsville and in Brisbane at Moreton Bay and Redland. See a map with all specific locations here.

Super Tuesday North is the second half a national count which also occurs in Australia’s southern states in March.